Known for its upscale ambience, healthful climate, championship golf courses, and torch-lit swimming pools, Scottsdale, Arizona, also earns renown as the home of Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa. Now, after an $8-million renovation of its spa, the property shines like never before.

Camelback Inn first opened in 1936 when founder Jack Stewart realized his dream of offering friendly, personalized service and well-furnished surroundings to travelers looking for the best in desert dining and recreation. In 1967, a frequent guest, J.W. Marriott, Jr., purchased the resort from its founder, and it became the first resort in the Marriott portfolio.

Today Camelback Inn holds the AAA Five Diamond Award plus a long list of top industry honors recognizing the ultimate standard for meetings. More than 40,000 square feet of space for groups includes an Executive Boardroom, an outdoor Western theme town, and every meeting amenity imaginable.

All 453 pueblo-style casitas feature private patios or balconies and an array of five-diamond luxuries. Twenty-seven suites add living rooms, dining rooms, and sundecks; seven have swimming pools of their own.

With teams using more than 100 unique apparatuses to launch globular projectiles a half-mile or more, the 27th annual World Championship Punkin Chunkin event is our pick as November’s Weird Festival of the Month.

The Camelback Golf Club promises an exceptional golf experience at the 18-hole Arthur Hills-designed Resort Course, a classic layout in a parkland setting of rolling terrain with an abundance of bunkers. The Club Course adds another 18-hole challenge marked by secluded sand traps and treelined fairways.

Those who prefer to swing a racquet face off on six tennis courts, five lighted for evening play. The 125-acre resort grounds also hold three pools—including the Jackrabbit Pool, an aquatic complex with a children’s play area, workout facilities, and Hoppin’ Jack’s eatery—plus miles of strolling, jogging, and bicycling paths.

The newly renovated 32,000-square-foot Spa at Camelback Inn offers 32 treatment rooms, a full-service gym, lap pool, salon, and a wide array of rejuvenation and pampering services. Set apart from the rest of the inn, the spa’s location next to Mummy Mountain ensures a tranquil haven. Sprouts, the spa’s restaurant, attracts guests from all over the resort with its fresh, heart-healthy menus.

Through its restaurants alone the resort has won thousands of hearts. Few can resist Chaparral, a historic landmark where stunning views of the mountains accompany fresh seafood, certified Black Angus steaks, and piping-hot soufflés. Visitors also enjoy the authentic regional fare at The Navajo and Rita’s Taqueria & Bar.

The timeless setting and Southwestern appeal simply cannot be duplicated. After nearly 70 years, the resort still represents the ultimate in desert vacations.